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Server Not Found/System Restore Not Working

tuffstuff

Posted 27 April 2013 - 04:14 PM

tuffstuff

Member

Member

104 posts

I was having problems with server not found after about 15 minutes on the internet. I started a topic in the section for Windows XP. I followed several steps and it got worse. I downloaded SP3 and MSE and it was worse, which has happened before when installing SP3. I can only stay on for a few minutes now. System Restore does not work, I uninstalled SP3 and it is not listed in my programs, but it shows on my system info. When I tried to uninstall AVG with the AVG remover, it says param empty. Here is a link to the Windows XP topic I started. http://www.geekstogo...-found-message/

Below is my OTL log. My scans show nothing, but the computer is acting wonky.

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tuffstuff

Posted 29 April 2013 - 02:09 PM

tuffstuff

Posted 01 May 2013 - 05:39 AM

tuffstuff

Member

Topic Starter

Member

104 posts

Yesterday could not stay on less than 5 minutes before having to restart. It also looks like when I clikc on something it doesn't seem to be doing anything then it loads the page. It happens with IE and Firefox.

tuffstuff

Posted 02 May 2013 - 04:22 PM

tuffstuff

Member

Topic Starter

Member

104 posts

Here is what is happening:

1. Cannot stay on without restarting for more than 5 or less minutes. Server not found comes up.
2. System Restore does not work in safemode or regular.
3. Installed SP3 and it always caused me problems, so unistalled it, but it is gone from programs but shows up when I hit system properties. Installed MSE when I did SP3, but took it out
4. Was told on the XP forum (where I went first)to uninstall AVG and reinstall, but it won't uninstall it comes up with a black box param empty Uninstalled AOL and Spywareblaster on XP forum recommendation.
5. My scans show nothing as far as a virus
6. Use firefox as browser, but it does the same thing with IE
7. This is a desktop. I have two laptops and they work fine.

Did OTL log and posted above with link to XP forum where I first went.

godawgs

Posted 08 May 2013 - 10:06 AM

godawgs

Teacher

Retired Staff

8,228 posts

Hello tuffstuff, Welcome to the forums!. My name is godawgs and I will be assisting you with your Virus / Malware issues.We apologize for the delay in responding to your request for help. Here at GeeksToGo we get overwhelmed at times, and we are trying our best to keep up. Please note that your topic was not intentionally overlooked. Our mission is to help everyone in need, but sometimes it takes just a little longer to get to every request for help. No one is ignored here.

I will start working on your Malware issues. This may, or may not, solve other issues you have with your machine. The fixes are specific to your problem and should only be used for this issue on this machine!

If you have since resolved the issues you were originally experiencing, or have received help elsewhere, please inform me so that this topic can be closed.If you have not, please adhere to the guidelines below and then carefully follow all future instructions:

You must reply to posts within four days. If you haven't replied within that time, the topic will be closed! If you need additional time to complete things, just let me know.If you're not sure, or if something unexpected happens, Do NOT continue! Stop and ask!

This board can notify you when a new reply is added to a topic. Please read this topic to find out how to do that.

Please do not run any tools unless instructed to do so.

We ask you to run different tools in a specific order to ensure the malware is completely removed from your machine, and running any additional tools may detect false positives, interfere with our tools, or cause unforeseen damage or system instability. Do as the instructions ask, nothing extra. Do Not run things twice unless instructed.

Your security programs may give warnings for some of the tools I will ask you to use. Be assured, any links I give are safe.

If I ask a Question just answer it, don't run anything unless directed to.

Please read every post completely before doing anything.

Pay special attention to the NOTE: lines, or anything in red. These entries identify an individual issue or important step in the cleanup process.

Please make sure you are saving and printing the instructions out prior to each fix, this way you will have them on hand just in case you are unable to access this site. Some of the steps I will be asking you to do may require you to boot into Safe Mode and this process will be much easier for you to perform if the instructions are printed out for you to follow.

Please do not use the Attachment feature for any log file. Do a Copy/Paste of the entire contents of the log file and submit it inside your post unless directed otherwise.

Logs from malware diagnostic or removal programs (OTL is one of them) can take some time to analyze.

I need you to be patient while I analyze any logs you post. Please remember, I am a volunteer, and I do have a life outside of these forum, (sometimes )

Attention to detail is important! Since I cannot see or directly interact with your computer I am dependent on you to "be my eyes" and provide as much information as you can regarding the current state of your computer.

Lastly, Please be aware that removing Malware is a hazardous undertaking. I will take care not to knowingly suggest courses of action that might damage your computer. However it is impossible for me to foresee all interactions that may happen between the software on your computer and those we'll use to clear you of infection, and I cannot guarantee the safety of your system. Some infections are so severe that we might encounter situations where the only recourse is to re-format and re-install your operating system. Don't worry, this only happens in severe cases, but, sadly, it does happen.In light of this be prepared to back up your data. Have means of backing up your data available.

IMPORTANT:Change your browser(s) to download any tools to the desktop.Follow the directions hereFor FireFox check the dot beside "Always ask me where to save files."For Chrome, check the box beside "Ask where to save each file before downloading"NOTE:IE8 Does not support changing download locations in this manner. You will need to download the tool(s) to the default folder, usually Downloads, then copy them to the desktop.

If you still require asistance, please follow the instructions below.

OTL is designed to be run from the Desktop. Please copy the OTL.exe file from the C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\Downloads folder to the desktop. Then go back to the C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\Downloads folder and selete the following files:OTL.exeOTL.txtExtras.txt

NEXT: Since it has been a few days we need to get some fresh scans.

Step-1.

OTL Custom Scan

1. Please copy the text in the Quote box below, (Do Not copy the word Quote), and paste it in the box in OTL. To do that:

XP users: Double click on the OTL icon. Make sure all other windows are closed.

You will see a console like the one below:

Click the box beside Scan All Users at the top of the console

Make sure the Output box at the top is set to Standard Output.

In the Extra Registry section, click the radio button beside Use Safelist<---Very Important

Check the boxes beside LOP Check and Purity Check.

Place the mouse pointer inside the box, right click and click Paste. This will put the above script inside OTL

Click the button. Do not change any settings unless otherwise told to do so.

Let the scan run uninterrupted.

When the scan completes, it will open OTL.Txt on the desktop. The Extras.txt file will be minimized on the taskbar. These files are also saved in the same location as OTL (it should be on your desktop).

Please copy the contents of these files and paste them into your reply. To do that:

On the OTL.txt file Menu Bar click Edit then click Select All. This will highlight the contents of the file. Then click Copy.

Right click inside the forum post window then click Paste.This will paste the contents of the OTL.txt file in the in the post window.

If it asks you if you want to download the latest virus definitions, click "No"

Click the "Scan" button to start the scan

On completion of the scan click save log. Save it to your desktop and post in your next reply.

NOTE: When you run aswMBR, if it is shutdown automatically, then it is most likely the infection detecting that aswMBR is running and terminating it. In this situation you should rename the executable (aswMBR.exe) to iexplore.exe and try it again.

Step-3.

AdwCleaner by Xplode

Download AdwCleaner from here to your desktop. Close all open windows and browsers.

XP users, double click the adwcleaner.exe file to run AdwCleaner.

Click the Search button and wait for the scan to finish.

Do Not delete anything at this time.

Once done it may ask to reboot, allow this.

On reboot a log will be produced please copy/paste that in your next reply. This report is also saved to C:\AdwCleaner[R1].txt

Step-4.

Things For Your Next Post:Please post the logs in the order requested. Do Not attach the logs unless I request it.1. The new OTL.txt log2. The new Extras.xtx log3. The aswMBR log4. The Adwcleaner[R1].txt log

Error - 5/5/2013 6:11:53 PM | Computer Name = DEBEVE | Source = Dhcp | ID = 1001Description = Your computer was not assigned an address from the network (by the DHCP Server) for the Network Card with network address 0012BF10C630. The following error occurred: %%1223. Your computer will continue to try and obtain an address on its own from the network address (DHCP) server.

Error - 5/6/2013 8:06:07 AM | Computer Name = DEBEVE | Source = Dhcp | ID = 1001Description = Your computer was not assigned an address from the network (by the DHCP Server) for the Network Card with network address 0012BF10C630. The following error occurred: %%121. Your computer will continue to try and obtain an address on its own from the network address (DHCP) server.

Error - 5/6/2013 12:52:33 PM | Computer Name = DEBEVE | Source = Dhcp | ID = 1001Description = Your computer was not assigned an address from the network (by the DHCP Server) for the Network Card with network address 0012BF10C630. The following error occurred: %%1223. Your computer will continue to try and obtain an address on its own from the network address (DHCP) server.

< End of report >

Edited by tuffstuff, 09 May 2013 - 07:36 AM.

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godawgs

Posted 10 May 2013 - 10:44 AM

godawgs

Teacher

Retired Staff

8,228 posts

Thanks for the logs. The aswMBR log doesn't show anything so your master boot record is good.You still haven't moved the OTL.exe file to your desktop. If you need help doing that please let me know. We are gonna run an OTL fix in this round and I really need for OTL to be on the desktop before you run the fix.

There is a good bit to do here. Take your time. If you have any questions stop and ask. I would suggest that you print these instructions or save them to a text file so you will have them when you complete the steps.

I have a couple of questions:

1.

computer cut off will do again.

When you say this, do you mean that the computer looses power and turns off or just that it looses the internet connection?

2. Do you have the internet problem with all browsers or just one of them?

3. Do you still use AOL for anything, or the AIM (AOL Instant Messenger)?

4. Why were you trying to uninstall AVG?

You have some malicious programs that we need to uninstall. And I want to run an OTL Fix but I want you to be sure that the OTL.exe file has been moved to the desktop before you run it. Once the fix is run the resulting log will be put on the desktop and you won't have to go looking for it.

Step-1

Malicious program uninstalls

1. Please click Start > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs2. In the list of programs installed, locate the following program(s):

Coupon Printer for WindowsViewpoint Media Player

3. Click on each program to highlight it and click Change/Remove.4. After the programs have been uninstalled, close the Installed Programs window and the Control Panel.5.Reboot the computer.

Delete the folders associated with the uninstalled programs.(Only do this if you uninstalled the program)

Warning: This fix is relevant for this system and no other. If you are not this user, do NOT follow these directions as they could damage the workings of your system.

2. Please re-open on your desktop. To do that:

XP users: Double click the icon.

3. Place the mouse pointer inside the textbox, right click and click Paste. This will put the above script inside the textbox.4. Click the button.5.Let the program run unhindered.6.OTL may ask to reboot the machine. Please do so if asked.7. Click the button.8. A report will open. Copy and Paste that report in your next reply.9. If the machine reboots, the log will be located at C:\_OTL\MovedFiles\mmddyyyy_hhmmss.log, (where mmddyyyy_hhmmss is the date of the tool run).

NOTE: Before running Steps 4 and 5 I want you to disable any screensaver you might have running.

Step-4.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

Close all programs and browsers on your computer.

Double Click the MalwareBytes icon on the desktop to run the program. You will now be at the main program as shown below.

Click the Update tab and update the program if required.

Click the Scanner tab, make sure the the Perform full scan option is selected and then click on the Scan button to start scanning your computer.

MBAM will now start scanning your computer for malware. This process can take quite a while, so I suggest you go and do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan. When MBAM is scanning it will look like the image below.

When the scan is finished a message box will appear as shown in the image below.

You should click on the OK button to close the message box and continue with the removal process.

You will now be back at the main Scanner screen. At this point you should click on the Show Results button.

A screen displaying all the malware that the program found will be shown as seen in the image below. Please note that the infections found may be different than what is shown in the image.

Make sure that everything is checked EXCEPT items in System Restore, and click Remove Selected.<---Very Important

When disinfection is completed, a log will open in Notepad and you may be prompted to Restart.(See Extra Note)

The log is automatically saved by MBAM and can be viewed by clicking the Logs tab in MBAM.

Copy&Paste the entire report in your next reply.

Extra Note: If MBAM encounters a file that is difficult to remove,you will be presented with 1 of 2 prompts,click OK to either and let MBAM proceed with the disinfection process. If asked to restart the computer, please do so immediately.

Step-5.

Run ESET Online Scanner:

Note: You can use either Internet Explorer or Mozilla FireFox for this scan. You will however need to disable your current installed Anti-Virus, how to do so can be read here.

Vista / 7 users: You will need to to right-click on the either the IE or FF icon in the Start Menu or Quick Launch Bar on the Taskbar and select Run as Administrator from the context menu.

Note: If using Mozilla Firefox you will need to download esetsmartinstaller_enu.exe when prompted then double click on it to install.All of the below instructions are compatible with either Internet Explorer or Mozilla FireFox.

Select the option YES, I accept the Terms of Use then click on:

When prompted allow the Add-On/Active X to install.

Uncheck the box beside Remove Found Threats

Make sure that the option Scan archives is checked.

Now click on Advanced Settings and select the following:

Scan for potentially unwanted applications

Scan for potentially unsafe applications

Enable Anti-Stealth Technology

Now click on:

The virus signature database... will begin to download. Be patient this make take some time depending on the speed of your Internet Connection.

When completed the Online Scan will begin automatically. The scan may take several hours.

Wait for the scan to finish. Do not touch either the Mouse or keyboard during the scan. Otherwise it may stall.

When The Scan is Complete:

If No Threats Were Found:

Put a checkmark in "Uninstall application on close"

Close the program

Report to me that nothing was found

If Threats Were Found:

Click on "list of threats found"

Click on "export to text file" and save it to the desktop as ESET SCAN.txt

Click on Back

Put a checkmark in "Uninstall application on close" (Be sure you have saved the file first)

Click on Finish

Close the program

Copy and paste the report here

Note: Do not forget to re-enable your Anti-Virus application after running the above scan!

Step-6.

OTL Custom Scan

1. Please copy the text in the Quote box below, (Do Not copy the word Quote), and paste it in the box in OTL. To do that:

Place the mouse pointer inside the box, right click and click Paste. This will put the above script inside OTL

Click the button. Do not change any settings unless otherwise told to do so.

Let the scan run uninterrupted.

When the scan completes, it will open OTL.Txt. This file is also saved in the same location as OTL (it should be on your desktop).

Please copy the contents of this file and paste it into your reply. To do that:

On the OTL.txt file Menu Bar click Edit then click Select All. This will highlight the contents of the file. Then click Copy.

Right click inside the forum post window then click Paste. This will paste the contents of the OTL.txt file in the in the post window.

Step-7.

Things For Your Next Post:Please post the logs in the order requested. Do Not attach the logs unless I request it.1. Answer my questions above.2. Let me know how the program uninstalls went.3. The AdwCleaner[S1].txt log4. The OTL Fixes log5. The MalwareBytes log6. The ESET log (IF it found anything.) If it didn't just tell me.7. The new OTL.txt log8. How is the computer running now?

tuffstuff

Posted 10 May 2013 - 12:25 PM

tuffstuff

Member

Topic Starter

Member

104 posts

Sorry, I know I am not being clear. Thank you for your help.

Server not found comes up after 5 or less minutes on the internet. The computer stays on, I just have to restart to get on the internet. It does it with Firefox and IE. AOl I have an email address. On the XP forum where I first posted, I was told to uninstall AOL, which I did. AVG I think I was told to uninstall and reinstall but I couldn't do it.

I have the OTL log and Extras log on my desktop icons. That is where I saved the logs. Is that correct. But OTL is in my downloads not the desktop is that the problem?

I went to my downloads, right clicked and sent OTL.exe to my desktop as a shortcut. Is that correct? Do I need to scan and post the logs again, or go on to your instructions?

godawgs

Posted 10 May 2013 - 01:37 PM

godawgs

Teacher

Retired Staff

8,228 posts

Thanks for the clarifications. I didn't see AOL in the installed programs. So I will re-do the OTL fix and remove the residual entries in the log when we get back to that point. For now disregard my last post and let's try to clarify some other things.

I re-read your topic in the Windows XP forum and it's pretty clear that you run things and install things when you haven't been asked to. And that, quite frankly, has added to the problem here. Back on April 24th you stated that Windows had stabilized, but then you were having problems with uninstalling AVG and installing MSE so you uninstalled the Windows SP3 and reinstalled and...the problems came back worse than before.I don't know if we are gonna be able to fix this issue short of reinstalling Windows. But I do know that running things and installing things that I don't ask for will make the job much harder. So I'm gonna request that you do only the things you are asked to do.

I have the OTL log and Extras log on my desktop icons. That is where I saved the logs. Is that correct. But OTL is in my downloads not the desktop is that the problem? If so, do I need to download it again and re scan?

I went to my downloads, right clicked and sent OTL.exe to my desktop as a shortcut. Is that correct? Do I need to scan and post the logs again, or go on to your instructions?

That is not what I meant. I want you to delete the OTL shortcut link from the desktop. Then I want you to open the Downloads folder and right click on the OTL.exe file and click Copy. Then I want you to close the downloads folder. You should be back on the desktop now.Right click in an open space on the desktop and click Paste. This will put a copy of OTL on the desktop. This way you don't have to tell OTL where to save the log files as it will automatically save them to the desktop.

As for uninstalling AVG, we will address that after I see what the fixes do and the new scans show.

If you agree with my approach please let me know and we will continue from there.

tuffstuff

Posted 10 May 2013 - 02:10 PM

tuffstuff

Member

Topic Starter

Member

104 posts

I know I complicated things which was stupid on my part. I did not stay stabilized for long. I had a point where I stayed on more than 5 minutes, but I would always have to re start. I uninstalled SP3 because it got worse, which has always happened to me before when I tried installing it. Although I did uninstall, it still shows in my properties for the description of my computer.

I uninstalled viewpoint player and coupon printer. But when I go to explore, I don't see the files to delete. I am looking on the left side where everything is listed but can't find the files for viewpoint, I guess they are not there.
Will wait to go on to step 2 and others until you tell me.

godawgs

Posted 10 May 2013 - 02:43 PM

godawgs

Teacher

Retired Staff

8,228 posts

Thank you for being patient with me, I really appreciate your help.

You are welcome. I will re-do the OTL fix script.

I uninstalled viewpoint player and coupon printer. But when I go to explore, I don't see the files to delete. I am looking on the left side where everything is listed but can't find the files for viewpoint.

Those aren't files. They are folders. And the uninstall may have removed them so it's ok.

There is a good bit to do here. Take your time. If you have any questions stop and ask. I would suggest that you print these instructions or save them to a text file so you will have them when you complete the steps.

Warning: This fix is relevant for this system and no other. If you are not this user, do NOT follow these directions as they could damage the workings of your system.

2. Please re-open on your desktop. To do that:

XP users: Double click the icon.

3. Place the mouse pointer inside the textbox, right click and click Paste. This will put the above script inside the textbox.4. Click the button.5.Let the program run unhindered.6.OTL may ask to reboot the machine. Please do so if asked.7. Click the button.8. A report will open. Copy and Paste that report in your next reply.9. If the machine reboots, the log will be located at C:\_OTL\MovedFiles\mmddyyyy_hhmmss.log, (where mmddyyyy_hhmmss is the date of the tool run).

NOTE: Before running Steps 4 and 5 I want you to disable any screensaver you might have running.

Step-4.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

Close all programs and browsers on your computer.

Double Click the MalwareBytes icon on the desktop to run the program. You will now be at the main program as shown below.

Click the Update tab and update the program if required.

Click the Scanner tab, make sure the the Perform full scan option is selected and then click on the Scan button to start scanning your computer.

MBAM will now start scanning your computer for malware. This process can take quite a while, so I suggest you go and do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan. When MBAM is scanning it will look like the image below.

When the scan is finished a message box will appear as shown in the image below.

You should click on the OK button to close the message box and continue with the removal process.

You will now be back at the main Scanner screen. At this point you should click on the Show Results button.

A screen displaying all the malware that the program found will be shown as seen in the image below. Please note that the infections found may be different than what is shown in the image.

Make sure that everything is checked EXCEPT items in System Restore, and click Remove Selected.<---Very Important

When disinfection is completed, a log will open in Notepad and you may be prompted to Restart.(See Extra Note)

The log is automatically saved by MBAM and can be viewed by clicking the Logs tab in MBAM.

Copy&Paste the entire report in your next reply.

Extra Note: If MBAM encounters a file that is difficult to remove,you will be presented with 1 of 2 prompts,click OK to either and let MBAM proceed with the disinfection process. If asked to restart the computer, please do so immediately.

Step-5.

Run ESET Online Scanner:

Note: You can use either Internet Explorer or Mozilla FireFox for this scan. You will however need to disable your current installed Anti-Virus, how to do so can be read here.

Vista / 7 users: You will need to to right-click on the either the IE or FF icon in the Start Menu or Quick Launch Bar on the Taskbar and select Run as Administrator from the context menu.

Note: If using Mozilla Firefox you will need to download esetsmartinstaller_enu.exe when prompted then double click on it to install.All of the below instructions are compatible with either Internet Explorer or Mozilla FireFox.

Select the option YES, I accept the Terms of Use then click on:

When prompted allow the Add-On/Active X to install.

Uncheck the box beside Remove Found Threats

Make sure that the option Scan archives is checked.

Now click on Advanced Settings and select the following:

Scan for potentially unwanted applications

Scan for potentially unsafe applications

Enable Anti-Stealth Technology

Now click on:

The virus signature database... will begin to download. Be patient this make take some time depending on the speed of your Internet Connection.

When completed the Online Scan will begin automatically. The scan may take several hours.

Wait for the scan to finish. Do not touch either the Mouse or keyboard during the scan. Otherwise it may stall.

When The Scan is Complete:

If No Threats Were Found:

Put a checkmark in "Uninstall application on close"

Close the program

Report to me that nothing was found

If Threats Were Found:

Click on "list of threats found"

Click on "export to text file" and save it to the desktop as ESET SCAN.txt

Click on Back

Put a checkmark in "Uninstall application on close" (Be sure you have saved the file first)

Click on Finish

Close the program

Copy and paste the report here

Note: Do not forget to re-enable your Anti-Virus application after running the above scan!

Step-6.

OTL Custom Scan

1. Please copy the text in the Quote box below, (Do Not copy the word Quote), and paste it in the box in OTL. To do that:

Place the mouse pointer inside the box, right click and click Paste. This will put the above script inside OTL

Click the button. Do not change any settings unless otherwise told to do so.

Let the scan run uninterrupted.

When the scan completes, it will open OTL.Txt. This file is also saved in the same location as OTL (it should be on your desktop).

Please copy the contents of this file and paste it into your reply. To do that:

On the OTL.txt file Menu Bar click Edit then click Select All. This will highlight the contents of the file. Then click Copy.

Right click inside the forum post window then click Paste. This will paste the contents of the OTL.txt file in the in the post window.

Step-7.

Things For Your Next Post:Please post the logs in the order requested. Do Not attach the logs unless I request it.1. The AdwCleaner[S1].txt log2. The OTL Fixes log3. The MalwareBytes log4. The ESET log (IF it found anything.) If it didn't just tell me.5. The new OTL.txt log6. How is the computer running now?